Sign or optical apparatus



Nov. 26, 1929. Vw. HRRSCHAFT 'l l 1,737,238

SIGN OR OPTI-CAL APPARATUS Filed July l5, 1927 y 2 Sheets-Sheet vl 1l IZ W E? L- J L Nov. 26, 1929. w. HERRSCHAFT SIGN OH OPTICAL APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 13, 1927 Afro NEY Patented Nov. 26, i929 WILLIAM .HnnRsorrz-ir'r, or .New noni; F1v. Y.

'SIGN on Or-TICAL 'APPARATUS Application filed muy r3, 1927. serial ino. leo'fese.

yThe invention relates vito optics and -relectors, the specific application lof -the inventionbe'ing 'e eigmf'thoughother uses and applications oflthezinvention 'are not 'ex- 255 eluded. The object is -to provideannpparatnsfoi vthis character which is very simple and inexpensive fto :make lend loperate, yet which is very-effective. Y

The invention provides and utilizesn re- -l0 Hector for collecting lightrnysffroine source edjaceitthe reflector yand projecting abeain in vthe desired "direction, which reflector is constituted lby inexpensive reflector sections of the 'cylindrical c'ln'ssr 'to accomplish sub- !l' stantielly the seine-result Aes a'fconsiderebly moreV expensive reiiector ot'fthe sphericalclass, Ie 11rther-adventagefof my reflectors bein'gfthttheyy cen'loe comperativelyf'shallow and still-intercept nndntiliZ'e-alergelproportiony :of the rays emanating .from fthe source. n 'the Vnccoinpenyingy drawings forming part `Ihereof :Figfl l'is 'a 'jplan vievv -fo' a vportionfo a sign .embodying the invention, the' casing being in :section 2 iseu front/elevation; l

Fig. :"3 isn iiront elevation, Withthe easing in section; f y

F g. 4 is a subetantielly central v horizontal section through-'one of the units; and Fig. 5 isa sectionon the line 'l-eoflig. Il.

'The sourceof light andthe light reflecting AIneens oit the sign are lh'ous'edin :i honor series ohoxes '-2, having frame holders 3 et the iront, in which yare inserted changeable sli'dese o'o'peque =meterinllhevinglnperture's or Windows 5 forming'the'sign characters.

The boxorbores c'ontiziine-series oilighting 'and reiiecti'ngunit's, eeeh eonsis'tingioffen 'im an electric bullo '6, two-concave Iside :reflector sections 7, and two concave rear reflector sec- 'tions'48- -Thereector sections-lare glass mir- 'I'.ors,A silvered on their convex sides, Where the silvering is protected by e suitable coating.

'The-reflectors are 'cylindriefih as distinguishedffrom-sphericel or ordinary 'perebolicymirrors. Cylindrical mirrors ere'c'onipolritively inexpensive, and or'the purpose of sign-s, es

employedherein, they lendfthemselves to the' :'50 reetangularffoi'inbetterfthen do'sp'herieal or ordinary parabolic reflectors lilurthermore, reiectors constituted f'of elplureflity"oioylin-\ drio'el sections according to=the ',plendfithis invention can be comparatively -shnllow reni frontfto `leech, vwith consequent impoifterrit economy of space, yet the sidesio'f the ire;v HectorI Vextend Well forward soms to :intercept andv utilize e very 'large spart /o'f Ithe fri'ays emanating lrom `thesource. i I',

The source isiplacedndijacentforin front 610 ofthe epexoflthe two reerreilectors 8,;ivvhich stand upright Vand lincline late'rfiylynnd 'to-V Wardethe :renin The reflectors @,z'rlsosteind-e' ving erect, lnre outside the Louter ends" of the reflectors '8 `and iextend'gorfvverdly and. hel '65 yond thelight source.' AThe curvatnregofithe mirrors 7 extends in the horizontal. :sense, Whereas the "curvenlre of ithefminiors i8 [ein tends inthe vertical zsense, :so `that sthesesec tions :can befseidtfo have 1 their i 'curvetures et rightfengles tofeaehoth'en i The light rays ,rom the '.vsource [fall :upon the innersides ofzthennirr-'ors =7`, which -nre properly positioned: andf'of rpropericunvntu're tolfreflect Ythem tothe `mirrors 48, by "which, -in turn, they inre yreflected forwardly in 'n sule stent-'rally parallel beam throughy the sign screen. In thiswveyia verybrilliant'nndipowerful projection of flight'iis obtained, -With very: smell consumption f 0I" electrical 1 enengy. Such a sign Iis veryleffec'ti-veasfedoylight sigvn'nd'canpof course, else 'beiused itnight. Cylindrical:niirrorsyof'circuleroraappronil mately circular ,.curveture fein lbe fused 'with sufliciently good results, Y particularly Pin the rsmaller sizes, loutv 'naturally 'the greatest ,feniciencycan be irelizedby I"speci-al ficurvatures, which` can:beireedilyfcalculated? onorrivedz et orfa particular cnse,suehfas;to ceuseftheiligit to be projected in as nearly as possible eparellel neem.` LTheimirrors rneedfnot bees high as lthe :mirrors :8, Lend, of'l'course, the mirrors k7 arefo shorter :enditheimirrors :Sofflenger- 4radius of curvature. Mirrors .fof parabolic. fcurvnture .':may be used.l )Practically sp'ekin'ggthe mirrors 7 are such es tofrefle'ct 'thelight rai-ys insubstenf tiallyx or fnearly y:parallel :vertical lpl'enes, --so that they dornot f diverge 'verygrentl rif :et elh'in *thev horizontfilf sense thoughftheypdo 1in shown, but this is not absolutely essential,

though very desirable. With considerably u lessefliciency a reflector consisting of only one mirror 7 and one corresponding mirror 8 might be used with'each light. Conversely, reflectors consisting of greatermultiples symv metrically disposed may be employed.

In the sign herein shown, each reflector, including the light source, is carried by a pivoted support 9, capable of swinging on a vertical axis 10. Y

This provision enables the reflectors to be swung somewhat to one side or the other, thus dimming the sign, as .may be desirable at night when the illumination might, otherwise, be ,too blinding. It also enables the beams of light to be directed at an inclination to thelength of the sign in cases where it may not be possible to place the signs so that they directly face the spaces from which it is desired that the signs shall be principally viewed.

This plan also makes it possible to cause the sign to dim and flash, or wax and wane, alternately. To this end the several supports 9 are shown connected by arms 11 and a reciprocatory lbar 12 to a crank 13 driven by an electric motor 14 through a worm gear V15. Through the operation of a suitable mechanism of this kind the reflectors will be oscillated from side to side across the mid-position, which can be considered as corresponding to the condition of strongest lighting to persons viewing the sign directly in face. This constitutes a very simple way of securing a dimming or fluctuating effect.

It will be understood that the precisey nature of the sign screen in front of the vreflectors is not essential. It may be constituted in various ways, and need not be stationary.

While the invention has special novelty and j value as a sign, the principle is alsov applicable to reflectorsv for other purposes, various illuminating arrangements, projectors and searchlights.

In this invention a reflector is built up, as it were, o'f'a plurality of cylindrical reflectors,

in suchv relation to each other and to the light reflector.

source as to'produce substantially the same result as an ordinaryspherical or parabolic This'involves much less expense than a'spherical or ordinary parabolic mir.-

- ror, and there. are other advantages. It'will be understood that the term cylindrical reflectoris used to distinguish from the Vclass of spherical mirrors, which class includes ordinary Iparabolic mirrors. The curvature of my mirrors need not be circular, and indeed for best results the curvature is specially plotted, which can be easily done, given the space in which to work and the distances.

I claim: u

1. A sign comprising a screen exhibiting a character or characters, a source of light behind the screen, and a reflector comprising two cylindrical concave mirrors disposed adjacent said source in such relation that the light rays are reflected from one mirror to the other and from the second mirror are` reflected forwardly through the screen, the two mirrors'having their curvatures at right angles to each other.

2. The combination with a source of light, of a reflector comprising two cylindrical concave mirrors disposed adjacent said source in such relation that the light rays are reflected from one mirror to the other and' from the second mirror are reflected forwardly, the two mirrors having their curvatures at right angles to each other.

3. A sign comprising a screen, a source of light behind the screen and a reflector comprising a number of cylindrical concave sections arranged with their curvatures atright angles and in such relation to each other and to the light source as to reflect the light rays, from one to another and eventually through the screen, producing substantially the result of a reflector of the sphericalclass.

Il. The combination with a light source, of a reflector` comprising two lateral4 cylindrical concave'sections and two rear cylindrical concave sections, the lateral and rear sections having their .curvatures `at right angles to each other, and the sections being in such relation to each other and to the light source as to reflect the Vlight rays from one to another and eventually in the direction desired, produc-ing substantially the result of a reflector of the spherical class.

5. A sign'having a screen, a lightisource and a reflector, said reflector comprising two vcylindrical concave sections having their curvatures at right angles, the sectionsof the reflector being in such relation to eachother and to the light source `that the rays from the source are reflected from one section of the re- Y flector to the other and from the latter are directed forward, and means whereby the reflector can be swung to change the brilliance of the sign. j Y

'6. A sign having a screen, a light` source and a reflector, saidreflector comprising `two cylindrical concave sectionshaving their curvatures vat right angles, and means for oscillating the reflector to cause the sign to wax and wane. j

7. The combination with a source of light, of a lreflector comprising at least four cylindrical concave sections, the sections two and two having their curvatures at right angles and being disposed in such relation to each other and to the light source that the rays from the source are reflect-ed from the sections of one pair to the sections of another pair and from the latter are thrown in the direction desired.

8. ln combination with a source of light, a reflector means adjacent said source to collect and project the rays therefrom, said means comprising a number of cylindrical concave sections arranged with their cur- Vatures at right angles and in such relation to each other and to the light source as to refleet the light rays from one to another and eventually in the direction desired, producing substantially the result of a reflector of the spherical class.

WILLIAM HERRSCHAFT. 

